


Triquetra

by musicallydeaf



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Based off a dream I had, F/F, F/M, M/M, but i've been taking lots of liberties, if you thought alexander hamilton would make it out of this one without fucking up, peggy is so pure, the schuylers are witches, theres so much going on, they all are actually, you were wrong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 02:46:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7667287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicallydeaf/pseuds/musicallydeaf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Most books on witchcraft will tell you that witches work naked. This is because most books on witchcraft were written by men.”<br/>― Neil Gaiman</p><p>In which Peggy Schuyler finds a mysterious woman in her greenhouse and must keep her safe amidst old magic and new danger.</p><p>Do I sound like a tacky romance/adventure writer yet?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Invocation

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all this is the first fic that I've bothered to flesh out and continue so I figured I'd post it here
> 
> Dear actual practitioners of magic- I am Sorry, please take this with a grain of salt, it's hella dramatized
> 
> talk to me on my tumblr account- musicallydeaf
> 
> love you all <3 <3

The silver moon is full above the three young girl’s heads. There isn’t a cloud in the sky, the only things that compete with her lovely visage are the stars that freckle the enveloping blackness of the air above them and the trees over their heads that reflect the warm bonfire and cast uneasy shadows around their feet. The fire crackles softly, adding to the sounds of the crickets and nocturnal creatures that surround them.

“Father will find us if we aren’t back soon. Angelica, how long will this take? I don’t want to get in any trouble. We could be hanged for this!” Says the youngest sister in a hushed whisper. Margarita is only 16 at the time and this is the first time she has dared to leave their estate at night. This feels like a betrayal of her father’s trust, but her sisters want her here, and theirs is a bond stronger than anyone’s. She clings to her older sister’s side as the two of them watch the eldest sister flip through a book. Each girl is wrapped up in loose black clothing, complete with hoods over their heads that mask their faces should they be seen by anybody.

“Don’t fret, dear one. This will be over before you know it. Our bond will be stronger than ever. We can protect each other better than we ever could before.” Says the middle child, rubbing her sibling’s back slowly and trying to calm her. Elizabeth Schuyler is 18 years old. She knows that if they don’t go through with this plan there could be a great chance that she could be married off to someone she doesn’t love and be forced to spend her life like a porcelain doll, locked away on a high shelf. Only to be used to show off at grand parties. The same fate could come to any of them, but with this power, they can protect each other.   
Silence descends upon all of them as Angelica, the eldest girl at twenty years old, closes the book. “No man or woman will be able to do us harm. Even God himself will have no right to us. We’ll make our own luck, our own blessings, our own divine wrath.” She speaks. Her voice seems to resonate through the core of the earth itself despite its quiet volume.

“We have to begin by forming a circle around the fire, connected by our fingertips. We look up to the moon, let her rays soak into us, and breath. Bring her power temporarily into ourselves so that we can do what we must.” The eldest sister instructs. Margarita separates herself from Elizabeth and they stand around the circle, arms outstretched and fingertips touching. The heat from the fire battles the coolness of the moon on each of their bodies and its crackle is all that can be heard as they each meditate, focusing on bringing that power into themselves. 

After a few moments have passed Margarita gasps as she opens her eyes. Each of them seems to glow ever so faintly, cool shades of silver and blue reflect off of them as if they had harnessed the moon’s lovely glow.

“Now, we face the north. When I say blessed be, I want you to repeat me.” Angelica instructs, turning to face the north and lowering her hood. The moon and her sisters give her the strength to remove it without worry of being seen. Nothing can hurt them.

“Earth, we call upon thee to lend us your unyielding strength. May we be unmovable like the mountains, hard as a rock and yet fragile and fertile enough to create lovely flowers and sustenance. We call to thee, blessed be.” Margarita feels a strong pull to the ground like her feet have become roots and she’s a mighty oak tree, strong and unwilling to bow down to anyone. She can smell lavender and sweetgrass. What feels like long grass brushes against her legs. The two younger sisters repeat her Angelica’s last phrase. 

Elizabeth can’t help but notice that Margarita seems to be positively glowing, more than the two eldest sisters. Small white flowers bloom at her feet and Angelica smiles knowingly. “Sister, the earth calls to you. Look.” She whispers, causing the youngest sister to open her eyes and take a look around her. Everything seems lively and the woods feel just as safe and comforting as her home does. She feels like she’s floating.

Next, they turn to the east and summon the wind. “Air, we call upon thee to fill us with your eternal wisdom. Give us the ability to seek the open sky inside each of us, fill us with your freedom and let us fly.” Angelica breathes. The wind rustles through the trees and sweeps away the intensity of the shadows surrounding them, but doesn’t connect with any of them with the same ferocity the youngest girl did with the earth. They each say blessed be.

The sisters turn to the south now and before they can even begin to call fire their little bonfire seems to increase, puffing itself up as if it was preparing to receive praise. “Fire, we call upon thee to cleanse us of anything that may hold us back. You are the element of passion and anger. You burn away the old and present us with the new. You can scorch and you can warm.” Elizabeth feels her skin heat pleasantly, the smell of burning wood seems more poignant and her hair seems to move like the fire does, her whole body glowing a soft blood red. “I’ve been chosen.” She whispers. The fire feels like love and acceptance and she can’t help but laugh giddily as they bless the element and turn to the west.

“Water, we call upon thee to wash away our fears and misgivings. Let us move fluidly throughout this world as you do. Grant us control of our emotions, let us be strong like thunderstorms but gentle like mist. The push and pull of your tides replenish us.” Angelica speaks, letting her head fall back with a gasp as she feels waves wash over her. Water has chosen her and you can see its soft blue glow like waves underneath her skin. You can see lightning and power in her eyes as they look up to the sky, silent thanks going out to everything that made this feeling possible.

Her smile is ever present as they bless this element and look to the center of their circle again. No instruction is needed this time. They clasp hands and dance around the roaring fire, giggling as the elements move with them, swirling through and around them and kissing each of them with their power. 

“Spirit, we call to thee. Grant us the power to continue this craft and bless our fellow sisters. We promise to protect each other and serve you. No harm shall come to the innocent when we have the power to change it. We have been gifted gloriously and thank you for the blessings bestowed upon us.” They speak in unison and the dance slows to a stop as Angelica pulls a small dagger from her dress. 

“We put one drop of blood into the fire, two into the goblet. Elizabeth, fill it nearly to the brim with wine, please.” The eldest sister instructs. The middle child does as asked of her, holding it out as she watches her sister prick the palm of her hand with the dagger’s tip, letting one splash of blood trickle into the fire and pressing her hand to the goblet, letting some of her blood mix into the wine. The other two do the same and when it’s finished they take turns sipping the wine until the goblet is empty.

“The pact is sealed. From this day until we draw our last breath, we are witches.” Angelica says. The fire surges before disappearing entirely, and it’s enough to knock the girls to the ground. The last thing either of them sees before they awaken next is a warm, yellow light.


	2. Servitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy daydreams about pretty girls and Angelica warns Eliza about her Icarus

Peggy’s phone alarm wakes her at exactly 8 in the morning. She groans softly and curls back under her blankets, letting the little device’s shrill tones continue on. For a second its screams seem to get louder and when she peeks out from under her blanket it’s light is on and the shriek crescendos before shutting off totally.

“Angie! You’re going to break my phone again! I was about to turn it off!” She shouts crossly through the wall, slamming her fist against it once where she knows Angelica is in bed attempting to sleep.

“It’s been going off for five minutes! Any second longer and I would have pitched myself out the window.” Angelica grumbles, just loud enough for the youngest sister to hear. 

Begrudgingly, Peggy crawls out of bed. The fluffy white carpet underneath her feet is soft and she smiles a bit as she walks. Once she leaves the perimeter of the carpet the wood floor is chilly, but she’ll be warm again soon. 

The youngest sister crosses to the wall adjacent to her bed. It’s floor to ceiling windows and she pulls the thick forest green curtains to the sides to let the warm sun into her bedroom. The multitude of potted plants seems to swell up, pleased to feel the heat on their leaves and petals.

She’ll pay attention to each of them soon enough, but she has to get ready for work first. Peggy walks to her wardrobe, opening the cherry wood doors and digging through messy drawer after drawer until she finds her favourite yellow shirt and a pair of overall shorts. She strips out of her pajamas and puts the clothing on, humming to herself as she spins by the mirror. Pleased with her choice of outfit she opens her door and pads across the hallway to the bathroom. 

She brushes her hair, then her teeth, then washes her face. Tying her curly hair up into two buns on adjacent sides of her head, she grins a bit. Peggy Schuyler has lived for nearly 3oo years now, but this is by far her favourite year for fashion, followed shortly by that of the fifties. She won’t hide the fact that she still owns a few poodle skirt or two and loves tying her hair up into high ponytails. 

Peggy finishes with a touch of makeup, some eyeliner, and a soft, neutral pink lipstick before heading off to the kitchen, retrieving a pop tart from the box in the cabinet, tearing the metallic rapper, and biting into one of the little pastries. There’s something about today that makes her giddier than usual. The prospect of adventure, perhaps.

As she daydreams, the image of a lovely woman with bright red lips and a distressed look on her face appears over and over again.

\--

Angelica tries to snatch whatever sleep her body will allow back from the shrill alarm that sounds through her wall. A large, fluffy black cat curls against the small of her back, rubbing against her and meowing, displeased that she wasn’t getting attention or her morning meal.

The eldest sister gives into the day and sits up slowly, yawning and stretching out before giving her little friend the attention she’s been craving. “Good morning, lovely. I’ll feed you soon, don’t worry.” She assures, pressing a kiss to the top of her pet’s head before getting out of bed. She doesn’t bother with her curtains, she doesn’t want to blind herself with the light just yet. She does, however, cross over to a small humidifier and turn it on. The feeling of the moisture in the air energizes her, it may not be a body of water, but her connection to it is still the same. 

Angie puts on a pair of tight dress pants and a pink button up shirt, pushing her hair behind her and opening her door, cat following her out into the kitchen where she fills the little animal’s dish with food and then gets herself an apple. She doesn’t have to speak to her younger sister to know that something is going to occur. She can feel it radiating off of her, a major change is going to happen today. 

“Angie, you promised to keep Hecate out of my room, she was in there last night terrorizing my bird and trying to eat my plants! Poor little Nyx was terrified.” Peggy pouts, brushing some crumbs off of her shirt.

“She’s a free spirit, I can only do so much. It must have been while I was in the bath. I’ll try to keep her out, but you should also remember to close your door if you don’t want her exploring.” Angie reminds, grinning at her.

\--

Eliza sleeps in a few minutes later than her two sisters. Her room is warm after all, the candles that she keeps burning all night (protected by mason jars) provide a lovely glow that when mixed with the sun’s warmth make the bed too deliciously comfortable to not sleep in for as long as possible. She gets up slowly, taking her time in languidly getting out of her bed and slipping on a sky blue sundress. She blows out her candles, thanking them for their warmth and protection, makes her bed as she does every morning, and leaves her room.

In her home, she feels safe and comfortable. No one’s mind but hers and her sisters project feelings toward her. She contributes positive energy back to that which she feels coming from the kitchen, making her way there and hugging both of her sisters before popping a bagel into the toaster. “Good morning.” She greets before turning to Peggy. “Who’s the woman? Did you make a friend at work? Is she nice? She seems sad.” She says, raising an eyebrow curiously.

“Liza! Keep outta my head. I don’t know who she is. I think we all will soon, though.” Peggy replies thoughtfully. 

“You’re projecting! I can’t help it.” Eliza defends, smearing a sweet cream cheese on her bagel before eating it. “What else have you got on her?”

Peggy sighs. “Practically nothing. I’ll update you guys in the group chat if I see anything else, kay?” She promises, checking her phone and jumping up. “I’m gonna be late, see you two.” The youngest girl declares, hugging them both, slinging a little backpack over her shoulder and heading out the door. 

Eliza shakes her head and chuckles softly. “It’s been so long and she still has boundless energy. I will always envy her for that.” 

“She’s excited to bump into this dream girl, that’s all,” Angelica explains. “How’s your Alexander? Has he still been texting you?” She asks curiously.

“Yes. I had thought love letters were a thing of the past, but he writes so eloquently that I can’t help but feel like the art was never lost with him.”

“Just be careful with that one love. He flies too close to the sun for my tastes, I don’t want you or him to get burned. I’ve gotta get walking if I want to be on time for work.” Angelica says, placing a kiss on her sister’s cheek. “You let me know if he does anything to hurt you.” The eldest sister warns. 

“You know I won’t do that. I’ll walk you out, I have to go too.” Eliza murmurs, finishing her bagel and slipping on a pair of flats, slinging a book bag over her shoulder and heading for the door with Angie, holding it open for her. 

As they walk out, a figure at the end of the apartment building’s hallway watches. He’s undetected by either of their abilities and he doesn’t say or do anything but grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In upcoming chapters there might be terms, meanings, and languages that aren't English, I'll translate and define those down here. Also, yes, Angie did name her cat after the goddess of magic. All of their familiars are named after deities whoops


	3. Effervescent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Peggy finds something more fauna than flora in her greenhouse

Peggy feels like she’s at home whenever she’s working. She’s surrounded by sweet smelling flowers and sunlight for multiple hours every day and that’s something rare for a New York city citizen, even rarer for one in the dead center of the city.

She’s watched the area grow, first outwards and then up. Houses became apartments, little shops became vast buildings, it was honestly quite overwhelming. Everything grows and changes around you and you stay the same. 

Not exactly the same, per say. They change their appearances often, every hundred years or so. Each time they remain women, Angelica remains the oldest, Peggy the youngest, and Eliza the middle child. Their names rotate with each rebirth as well. In her next ‘life’ Peggy will be Margarita again, after that she’ll be Maggy. In Eliza’s next, she’ll be Elizabeth, and in another rotation Lizzie. Angelica is also called Angel and Angelina. They take on the Schuyler name, claiming it’s family tradition to name the three girls after their ancestors. Of course, they move around too often for their name to be recognized much.

As she waters her growing plants and grooms the clipped ones her mind is trained on that woman from before. She’s trying her hardest to seek out a connection, get any information she can on this girl, but it’s not working. All she has on this woman is a never ending loop of her red lipstick, her tear-filled eyes, and panic. She wants to make sure the girl’s okay. 

Peggy tries to put her out of mind just long enough to actually get work done, but even the flowers show that it isn’t working quite like she wants. She fills a pot with loose soil and a seed and in moments of touching it a bright yellow bushel of forsythia has grown. She rolls her eyes and smiles, it’s the flower of anticipation. Next comes Monkshood which grows in little violet stalks and warns of danger. Oleander has the same meaning but its thick bush is littered with thin, fragile pink flowers with a sweet smell. 

The youngest Schuyler sister brings these newly grown and potted plants out back to her greenhouse, it’s one of the biggest in the area, nearly as large as the shop itself and twice as populated with plant life as the store is. She clears space for them and sets them down where they’ll get plenty of space and sun, brushing the dirt off her hands and admiring her handiwork. 

Out of the corner of her eyes she sees something shift in the greenhouse. Customers aren’t allowed to be out here and she figures it must be an animal of some sort, a raccoon, maybe a stray dog or cat. There are some poisonous plants in here and it would be unsafe for any animal to be here. Upon looking, Peggy realizes she can’t find any way an animal could actually get in the greenhouse. The door latches shut and it’s fairly heavy, and the entire greenhouse is sealed. The only thing that could possibly sneak into her greenhouse would be a person.

She’s instantly on edge and grabs a pair of hedge clippers, frowning as she looks down the rows of plants. Behind her, she hears the flapping of wings and turns around to see a bird outside of the greenhouse landing on its roof. Maybe that was it, it could have been seen through the glass. She shrugs it off, setting the clippers down and chuckling at her own paranoia, finding the gardenia bush she had been looking for and picking up the heavy pot, walking to the door and going to unlatch it. It was already unlatched and she had sworn she’d re-secured it just after she came in. 

Maybe this is it, after nearly 300 years she was finally going insane. What was she gonna tell Angie and Eliza? She’s sure that they would be gracious as always and-  
Her thoughts are interrupted when another body slams into hers, forcing her to drop her gardenia and shatter the terracotta painted pot it was held in.  
“Hey! You’re not supposed to be back here, you’ll have to pay for.. That..” Her anger disappears when she looks up at the face of the person she’d bumped into. It’s the woman, standing right before her is the woman she’d dreamt about and spent the last day daydreaming about. She realizes she’s been staring and hasn’t heard a word this girl has said and shakes her head.

“Sorry, what’d you say?” Peggy asks quickly, bending down to pick up the blunt pieces of broken pot and watching as her mystery woman does the same. Her lipstick is amazingly /redder/ in real life.

“I said I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you I’m just.. Hiding from someone. I can leave if you don’t want me back here. How much does this cost?” The woman asks, obviously trying to contain the fact that she’s frazzled and looks like she’s been running all day in the hot sun.

“Never mind, if I get it re-potted it should live. Are you okay? Who are you hiding from?” Peggy asks, frowning and quickly putting the gardenia in a new pot, filling it with dirt.

“Okay, then let me pay for the pot. It’s the least I can do, I mean I broke into your greenhouse and nearly knocked you over.” The stranger mumbles, obviously trying to put off answering the other questions.

“Oh no, that pot doesn’t have a price on it, it must be free, looks like you’re good after all.” Peggy deadpans. “Seriously, do you want me to call the police or something? Are you in any danger?”

The girl frowns, biting on her lower lip as she looks at Peggy. “No, it’ll just piss him off more. My boyfriend’s just.. Angry, I guess. I wanna give him some time to cool off before I go back to him.” The woman shrugs, rubbing her shoulders. 

The younger Schuyler sister raises an eyebrow, trying to hold back a sarcastic comment about her having to hide when she’s angry. “You can stay here, don’t worry about it. You look like hell, I’ve got a thing of lemonade from that store across the street inside, it’s been cooling down all day. C’mon.” Peggy offers her a hand, and when the woman takes it she leads her inside, making sure there are no customers before bringing her to her little office, pulling a pint of lemonade from a little mini fridge and filling two coffee mugs. “I don’t have any actual cups, sorry.”

She doesn’t have to worry that the woman won’t be alright with the selection, however, as the moment she hands over the mug she’s drinking it down like she hasn’t seen a beverage in a few days. Peggy refills the mug for her and sets the juice down. “What’s your name?” She asks softly, taking a small drink from her own mug. “I’m Peggy Schuyler.”

The woman looks up at her with a grateful smile. “I’m Maria. Reynolds. Thanks for all this.” she mutters. “You’re a lifesaver, Peggy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forsythia- Lighthearted anticipation, something beautiful is about to happen  
> Monkshood-A poisonous flower, beware, a dangerous enemy is near  
> Oleander-The beginnings of romance


	4. Melliflous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Eliza is in love and the girls have a groupchat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a short little transition-y chapter, next one will be longer I promise

Eliza remembers when she first met him. A young soldier brought to her directly by Angelica during a party around 1780. He was enthralling and his words and presence were as lovely as his deep blue eyes and his winning smile. He had the power to win her over with his words alone and he did so like an old pro, they were quickly wed and Elizabeth Schuyler had been the happiest woman in the world.

She might not have him anymore, but god help her, she sees him in Alexander Hamilton. Eliza would be foolish to think that there’s no way her first husband’s soul couldn’t be in this man. Then again, would it really be fair to him to compare the two? 

The man had showed up at her lunch break with the promise of her favourite food and took her for a picnic date in central park. If her heart wasn’t melting enough already, he spent most of the time lavishing her with sweet nothings spoken so eloquently she has a hard time believing that he’d been thinking of these on the spot and didn’t have a script stashed somewhere that he occasionally glances at.

It was the loveliest lunch break she’d had in a while, and after nearly a month of chaste kisses and nothing more (Eliza preferred taking it slow, Hamilton didn’t seem to mind as much as she thought he would) she found herself kissing him on their little picnic blanket, nothing held back. 

The rest of their lunch was lovely and just as Schuyler was about to move in for another kiss her phone goes off. Again, and again, and again. She doesn’t even have to look at her phone to know who it is and she places a hand on Alexander’s chest. “One second, it’s Peggy.” She murmurs, pecking a chaste kiss to her lover’s cheek and giving him a little smile before turning her attention to the little device buzzing away in her pocket.

Peggy <3 <3: I met the girl. 

 

Peggy <3 <3: The one from the dream.

 

Peggy <3 <3: Her name is Maria and she is s o lovely

 

Peggy <3 <3: Her boyfriend is an asshole though. He’s an abusive jerk and he makes her do stuff for money and still treats her like she’s useless

 

Peggy <3 <3: I kinda wanna take her under our collective wing

 

Peggy <3 <3: And protect her

 

Peggy <3 <3: And maybe kiss her a lot

 

Peggy <3 <3: But like, only if she wants to and she’s comfortable with it after what that asshole made her do.

 

Angie ;*: You just wanna.. Bring a stranger into our home?

 

Angie ;*: We don’t even know her. And what about home being our safe haven?

 

Angie ;*: I mean, I’m glad that you met someone you like and stuff, but what’s she gonna say when she walks into our ‘apartment’ and finds that it’s so much bigger on the inside than it should be?

 

Angie ;*: It’s just.. I dunno. We’ve gotta talk about this more. I need to meet her, Eliza needs to meet her, we have to make sure we can trust her.

 

Peggy <3 <3: Yeah, I know. I just.. I’m looking into her future and there’s something /really/ bad. Something we could probably protect her from.

 

You: Keep her at the flower shop for as long as you can, I can get off soon and meet her. Maybe we can take her out for dinner or something. 

 

You: I’ve gotta go. Alex and I are currently on a date. Let me know how it goes with Maria, love! ;*

 

Angie ;*: He better be treating you like a lady. 

 

You: Don’t worry, he is ;)

 

Peggy <3 <3: Have fun!!! (not too much you dirty girl ;D)

 

You: I will. Gotta go, love you both! <3 <3

 

Eliza sets her phone away and grins at Alexander, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him in for another kiss. She hasn’t felt this close to anyone since her first husband and she doesn’t intend to waste time now that she’s got Alex.


	5. Hiraeth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Angelica feels at home when at work and laments a love that was never hers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys <3 Thank you so much for reading, it really means a lot to me. Kudos/comments are more than welcome, feed the validation goblin pls <3

Angelica misses New York before urban sprawl took over. There was still wilderness, still places untouched by man’s industrialized hands where she could sit and communicate with everything around her. Now everything is loud and crowded and there isn’t enough peace or quiet, the city truly never sleeps. 

There are two places she feels like she can step out of her body and communicate with the world. The first is her home. That comfortableness wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for her sisters and for the charm they’d put on the little apartment ages ago. It was still rather upscale and pleasant (When you don’t die you have plenty of time to save money) but somewhat lacking in the kind of comfort they desired. It took them a long time, but they’d constructed an entire house inside of that little place, using another dimensional plane for space (When you don’t die you also have plenty of time to practice and learn how to do advanced things). 

When they were inside they got the full view of the city as if they were floating above it all, but in reality, they were located on the fourth story of an apartment building. In their house, they had three bedrooms, a room dedicated purely to their craft, another for storage, and another for memories. When you live for 300 years you accumulate a lot of keepsakes.

They have a living room with a grand fireplace that’s always roaring, courtesy of Eliza, a large bathtub (It could almost be considered a pool, it was nearly the size of an ancient greek bath) that’s water was always crystal clear and calming and always seemed to sense the perfect temperature for whoever was in it, and throughout the entire home there were plants.

All of them were small and potted, some had been created by Peggy herself, existing nowhere else but right there. Angelica’s favourite amongst all of them was a dusty rose one that smelled just like their mother’s perfume and brightened the mood of anyone who ate a petal from it. She’d requested a few of them from Peggy and taken them to the hospital, giving them to the people who needed happiness and comfort the most.

In their kitchen they had an island in the dead center of it, above it it was normal, there were some jars full of spices, some hanging pots and pans and cast iron skillets, but underneath it was a secret cellar, if you went into it you’d find it full of growing herbs, spices, important things that they’d need for rituals. Aside from those, a rack or two of wine from various time periods, and a blocked off little garden only accessible during true emergencies. In it were plants more poisonous than anything accessible on earth and plants that could save a life no matter how far gone.

They had everything they needed there, it was safe, they didn’t have to hide, it was /home/. It had been their home since the early 1900s and nothing could change that.  
The second place is Angelica’s work. She’s been working at New York’s oldest library for decades, she knows it all by heart. She’s read every book in it, she could tell you exactly where the books are in her sleep. And that’s why she finds it so easy to astral project while working. Even if her soul is outside of her body, she can assist whoever needs it. Almost like autopilot. 

Today when she feels herself leave her body she immediately checks on Peggy. She’s getting strong feelings that resemble a childish crush mixed with something stronger, and pity. From the girl that she’s with, she senses sadness. Lots of sadness and gratefulness toward her sister. She’s scared, she’s running away from something and it worries her. 

Next, she goes to Eliza. Giddy excitement is the first thing to wash over her, she hasn’t felt this strongly about anyone since.. She pushes him out of her head. Never again. He’s long gone and neither of them will see him again. Angelica doesn’t have to hurt her sister or herself with feelings for him.

What is she going to do about Alexander? Surely Eliza must have realized that this man has some of her old husband’s soul inside of his own. She feels it, feels magnetized by it and hates herself for it.

Eliza has a chance to be happy again, like she was before. She cannot ruin that with old feelings. What is she supposed to do when every time Alexander brings Eliza home their eyes meet and for a split second she can remember what his past self’s lips felt like on hers? How is she ever supposed to forgive herself?

Eliza already has, she forgave her almost instantaneously. For whatever reason, that just made her feel worse about it. Her sweet, forgiving sister didn’t deserve to hurt.  
She’s lost in her thoughts on Eliza, Alexander, and his past life when she’s practically rocketed back into her body. It makes her jump and when she finally realizes where she is and what’s going on she’s face to face with none other than Alexander Hamilton. The man of the hour, even if just in her head. Eliza must have had to go back to work, here he is holding a large stack of books and looking her over with a mixture of concern and curiosity. 

“Are you alright, Angelica?” He asks, voice low as he leans over the desk to look at her, eyebrow cocked. “Do you need anything? You’ve been stock still, staring off into nothing at all for like, five minutes.” 

Angie nods quickly, chuckling. “Yeah, it’s a slow day. I guess I was daydreaming. Can I help you with anything?” She asks, all smoothness and suavity once she’s fully connected to her body again. “Also, I cannot believe you’ve read /all/ of those in the span of five days.”

Alex smiles at her, shaking his head. “It’s kinda my thing. I wanna read all of the books here one day and my time is limited.” He informs her. “I was wondering if you had any recommendations, I think I’ve exhausted your selection on politics and economics.”

It took her exactly 80 years, averaging at two books a week. At this rate, he could very well break her record. She doesn’t think she’d mind. “Yeah, of course. Do they have to be on anything specifically?”

Alex shakes his head, watching her as she crosses her desk and joins him on the other side. “No, I’m not picky at all. Though, Eliza asked me to pick up a few books on American Sign Language, one of the children at the orphanage is deaf and she’d like to learn so she can teach him.”

Angie’s heart is immediately warmed and she smiles. “That’s just like Eliza. She’d give anything for those kids, she’s proven that time and time again.” She starts to lead him toward the books on language.

“Her heart is bigger than the city itself and I feel like the luckiest man in the world to be graced by her presence.” Alexander croons, gladly taking the few books that Angelica offers him before following her lead. “How long have you worked here? You’re already so familiar with everything and it’s so /big/. I’m a regular and I still get lost.”

“She was right, you do have a way with words.” Angie teases, grinning at him and holding out a book. “This is one of my favourites. It’s about a boy who crosses into a magical world to bring the woman he loves a fallen star. He finds out that the star is a woman and that evil witches, murderous princes and the like are all after them and they go on adventures trying to make it back home. I read it to Peggy and Eliza a lot when it first came out, it was our favourite. On that note, by the same author is another book you should read. It’s about a man who gets erased from everyone’s memory and is plunged into a magical underground version of London in order to gain back what he’s lost.” She speaks, handing him another.

“Seems like you’ve got a type, d’you like fantasy?” Alex asks, looking over the covers of both books as they walk. 

“Oh yeah. I like those ones especially because despite the characters being from fantasy books they’re always.. Very human. It’s easy to jump into their shoes and have an adventure.” Angelica grins and hands him another. “This one’s a must read. It’s about a girl who runs away from her abusive father with her best friend and learns about life with the help of two beekeepers.”

Alex grins, more than content to listen to her summarize every book in the library. She speaks with a lot of passion and he can’t help but feel intoxicated by it.

“Second to last, take this one. It’s about two kids who run away and hide out in the Metropolitan Museum of art, they live there for a few days and it may be for a younger audience, but I sure as hell felt better off reading it.” Angelica holds out a smaller book, adding it to Alexander’s growing stack. “Arms getting tired yet?”

“Just slightly. And it doesn’t matter who the intended audience is, if you take meaning from it it’s a good book.” Alex murmurs, shrugging and grinning. “What’s the last one?”

“The Princess Bride. It’s Eliza’s favourite, woo her by quoting it sometime.” Angie informs him with a little grin on her face, adding it to the stack before bringing him back to her desk so she can check each of them out to him. 

“You’re.. /helping/ me woo her? I would have expected another ‘if you lift a finger to hurt my baby sister It’ll take them centuries to find your body’ talk.” Alexander teases.

“Just helping maintain my sister’s happiness. She really cares about you.” Angelica informs him matter of factly. “I’ll need these back in two weeks, so I’m sure I’ll see you before then.” She teases lightly.

“You know me well, Angelica Schuyler. See you around.” Alex says, putting his new stack of books in his messenger bag and waving before departing.

Angelica can do this, she can keep herself out of their equation, let them be happy. She’ll find her happiness somewhere else. She knows it.

As she readies for her shift to end she reaches into her bag, pulls a dried deep pink petal and bringing it to her face, smelling the familiarly sweet scent of her mother’s perfume before eating it. It tastes like herbal tea and mint and she feels.. Lighter. Like she can take on anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, who else is jealous of the Schuyler's home? I sure as hell am.  
> Also, the books Angie's talking about are (in order) Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, and From The Mixed Up Files of Ms. Basil E Frankenweiler by EL Konigsburg. Read them omg they are so good


End file.
